Friday, March 22, 2013

Poetry Friday -- The One I Didn't Submit

Flickr Creative Commons photo "Macro Smiley" by BlueRidgeKitties






SEARCH ENGINE BLUES 

It seemed like a valid request. 
My computer didn’t agree.
Its cold, inhuman glare
left no uncertainty:

there would be no cooperation, 
no figures and nary a fact.
In an ironic change of conditions
I was the one getting hacked.


© Mary Lee Hahn, 2013


This is the poem I didn't submit in the second round of Madness 2013, the poetry tournament hosted by Ed DeCaria at Think Kid, Think. My word was INHUMAN. I tried to write about Orion (human-shaped on an inhuman scale) but my muse wouldn't allow it. Or maybe I should say, I couldn't make anything of it. Whatever the case, I didn't trust the poem I eventually submitted, so I wrote this one and asked a few people to pick their favorite. Hands down, the one I submitted was preferred. You can't believe how scary it was (for me) to submit a poem with regular rhythm and rhyme! That is WAY outside my box. But it was the right poem at the right time. I moved on, and voting is in progress on the third round of poems.

My third round poem using the word CONSERVATIVE is here. When I signed up for #MMPoetry, I knew that most often, funny, rhythmic, rhyming poems carry the day in this contest. In the second round, I played that card myself! So we'll just have to see what my "gorgeous word portrait" (thank you, Carol Wilcox!) can do against an over-confident baseball player. Make sure you visit ALL of the third round poems. Read, vote for what YOU think are the best poems, and join the fun in the comments. 

Greg has the Poetry Friday roundup today at GottaBook, and I'll be hosting next Friday, on the eve (almost) of Poetry Month. I'm hoping to hear about lots of your Poetry Month 2013 projects. I'm hoping I will have decided by then what I'm going to do!



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14 comments:

  1. Love, love, love your conservative poem! (probably shouldn't admit I'm a little tired of all of the funny, rhythmic poems- one kind of poetry but I like lots of kinds of poetry). I really, really want to do something for Poetry Month. Great since I have not even posted a poem on Poetry Friday in about a month. Hmmm. Thanks again for the conservative poem. I also loved reading the story behind it this morning.

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  2. Mary Lee, the poem you entered for this round is one of the most beautiful in the competition so far. It's hard to choose a heart-centered poem over a funny one, knowing that humor often carries the day. Your piece reminded me of the red tail hawks that glide over our neighborhood. One lights to sit on our old swingset!

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  3. Congrats on making it to the 3rd round! Your "gorgeous word portrait" blows me away. LOVE it.
    Good luck -- looks like it's going to be a tight race. :)

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  4. Your third-round poem is probably my favorite of the competition so far. Absolutely gorgeous!

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  5. I love it. Just went and voted for you. :-)

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  6. Anonymous7:07 PM

    You got my vote! CONSERVATIVE is just lovely. You used the word in a way that surprised me, yet the image is vivid: "plumed in conservative browns." I like your "Search Engine Blues, too :-)
    Catherine

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  7. I agree with the others, Conservative is gorgeous! Congratulations on your success in the Madness! : )

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  8. Sorry "Conservative" didn't win. I'm repeating, but it is a beautiful poem. I don't see the hawks I used to in my new home, & you made me remember them. Thanks for all the poetry talk in your post. It's fun to hear.

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  9. Your 'conservative' poem is beautiful.

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  10. As I said on FB: Thank you, everyone, for your kind words about and support for my poems in #MM2013. I take my bow and leave the competition feeling much the same as I did last year: I'm (more than) a little relieved to be done with the stress, I am a (much) better writer, and I'm lucky (so very lucky) to be a part of this community of poets.

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  11. I felt like I was standing beside you watching the hawk when I read your poem. Carol's words, a"gorgeous word portrait," couldn't be more accurate. Keep writing your poems, Mary Lee. I always look forward to seeing an original on your blog. You'll always have my vote.

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  12. It's been an amazing journey, this following the March poetry contest from afar - so much creativity and poetic flexibility in evidence! Conservative was my favorite Mary Lee poem. Thank you for your poetry gifts, Mary Lee!

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  13. Thanks for catching my error. I appreciate you sending my comment along to Greg.

    Janet

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  14. You just rock, Mary Lee. I am a fan!

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